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Agrabah merchant
Category:Characters | aliases = | film = | franchise = Aladdin film series | image = | notability = | type = | race = | gender = | base of operations = Agrabah, Middle East | known relatives = | status = | born = | died = | 1st appearance = Aladdin (1992) | final appearance = Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) | actor = Robin Williams }} The Agrabah merchant is a fictional character featured in the 1992 animated adventure film Aladdin by Walt Disney Productions. He makes a cameo appearance in the very beginning of the film and he is voiced by actor Robin Williams. The character opens the film as a narrator and performs the song "Arabian Nights". The character also makes brief appearances in the film's direct-to-video sequels The Return of Jafar in 1994 and Aladdin and the King of Thieves in 1996 where he performs a reprise of "Arabian Nights". Biography The Agrabah merchant is the first character seen in the film. As he traverses the rough desert terrain, he introduces the viewer to the kingdom of Agrabah by way of the song "Arabian Nights". After dismounting from his camel, he addresses the viewer directly, beckoning them to come closer. The camera zooms in and presses up against his face, to which the merchant then replies, "Too close, a little too close". Once the camera resumes a more practical distance, the merchant goes on to describe the mysteries of Agrabah. He gets sidetracked however by his own business acumen as he unzips a supply pack from his camel, which instantly unfolds into his portable bazaar stand. He showcases some of his wares which includes a device that he claims is a combination hookah and coffeemaker that also makes julienne fries. He then claims how sturdy and unbreakable the device is, but upon tapping it on his table, it falls apart. Another item he had for sale was the famous Dead Sea Tupperware. The merchant claimed that he had never seen on intact before. As the viewer loses interest and turns to leave, the merchant chases after them, noting that they are only interested in the exceptionally rare. He pulls from his sleeve a familiar looking oil lamp, and asserts how it once changed the course of a young man's life. He harkens that one should not be fooled by it's commonplace appearance in that, like so many things, it is the outside appearance that matters, but what is inside the counts the most - a diamond in the rough. Notes & Trivia * The character of the Agrabah merchant was created by the director and writer team of Ron Clements and John Musker as well as screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. * The merchant was voiced by Robin Williams, who also provided the voice for the Genie in both Aladdin and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. * It is known that the Agrabah merchant will eventually come into possession of the magic lamp that once housed the genie. It is unclear how he comes to acquire it and how long after the events of the three films that he takes possession of it. * This character earned himself no small bit of controversy from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee due to a bit of dialogue from the song "Arabian Nights". The theatrical version of the song from Aladdin includes the line "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face...", which the ADC felt portrayed Arabs in a negative stereotypical light. For home video releases of the film, the line was changed to "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense..." See also External Links * Agrabah merchant at the Disney Wiki References ---- Category:Disney/Characters Category:Aladdin (1992)/Characters Category:Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)/Characters Category:Return of Jafar, The (1994)/Characters Category:Robin Williams Category:Characters with biographies